Thomas K

To: Proximity mobile team members
From: Kieara Thomas
Subject: Blog Post Analysis memo- Google Phones
Date: Febuary 1, 2010


We were asked to analyze a blog post to help prepare us for our spring focus group session. Below is my summary of an Inc. Technology article on the new Google phone “Android”, which could likely outshine iPhone and BlackBerry, as it comes to a mobile device for small and mid-size businesses. I suggest we include questions to ask Towson University students to determine preferences in mobile devices.

What is athe "Android"


Android is a Google phone platform with the launch of the “Motorola Driod” and “Nexus One”. Google is integrating with PC’s and mobile devices to open the market segmentation and explore various segments to compete with their competitors. Android offers applications, voice calling, Internet search, and a mobile platform. Google’s mobile phone platform android offers the same features as BlackBerry and iPhone, but Android offers a unique feature of its mobile platform which gives it an advantage over its competition. Android has a promising future as they plan to outshine their competition by exploring the market segments and catering to small and mid-size businesses needs for mobile devices.

Why is it important for Android to serve for small and mid-size businesses

The new era of mobile devices is the business market and the people on-the-go. The mobile segmentation includes busy people that want everything at the touch of their hands, in there mobile devices. This segmentation is usually people in the business industry who don’t always have an excess to a desktop and the rise of professionals, including college students. Android have to be able to meet these people needs because consumers are looking for the newest smartphones on the market with enterprise e-mail and other services. Google already have a natural fit for small businesses because there mobile devices offer Google Apps, hosted suite of e-mail, and messaging. BlackBerry and iPhones are the main competitors when it comes to smartphones for small and mid-size businesses. The iPhone and BlackBerry has support for features of ActiveSync, which is the data synchronization program developed by Microsoft for use the Microsoft Windows operating systems. Although Android supports ActiveSync though some smartphone maker's tools, there is no support for ActivieSync polices. Therefore, Android is not better then BlackBerry or iPhone for enterprise users. Android has the capability to compete with the iphone in small businesses, but not yet for big businesses. BlackBerry is taking over the mobile operating system for enterprise-level companies. Android has a very challenging hurdle to overcome if they want to outshine BlackBerry in a larger industry of enterprise.


Questions to ask TU mobile users

In addition to determining the preference in mobile devices of TU students, we need to find out why do they prefer these mobile devices and the features that students look for in a phone. The mobile segment of the spring Proximity survey should include questions such as the following.

  • If you had to choose between iphone, BlackBerry, or Adroid mobile devices; which one would you choose and why?
  • When shopping for mobile devices, what kind of features do you look for in a phone?
  • How do you feel about enterprise email in all mobile devices?











http://technology.inc.com/telecom/articles/201002/google.html